Serving God – Serving Others

Luke 10:2

He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Today I want to take a look at serving God and serving others. In the life of most churches – there is a sad statement that is common knowledge in the church world! It goes like this – 20% of the people do 80% of the work in the church. At times – this might be because the 20% has a hard time sharing or delegating the workload. At times – it might be a control issue on the part of the 20%. But most often – it is because the 80% aren’t joining in the labors for Christ in the church. Are we part of the 20% or the 80%?

Think about this for a moment. Are we only attending worship in our church and doing nothing else (online or in person)? Are we only taking what the church offers – youth ministry – children’s ministry – family ministry – worship – Bible studies – etc. – and not giving anything back? In essence – are we a taker without being a giver? Do we take more than we give?

There is another saying we might be familiar with – it goes like this – you get out of something – what you put into it. I wonder what our church would look like if everyone associated with our church were to serve God in some capacity in the life of our church? What if everyone in our church considered themselves workers in the harvest fields Christ has for us? I mean – we can all help somewhere! Right?

Here are some ideas and suggestions. What if everyone who came to worship at a particular church personally invited others – often – even weekly – to attend with them? What if those who used a particular ministry – children – youth – Bible studies – Small Groups – worship – counseling services – etc. – offered to help in another area of the church’s ministry? The 20% would be excited – even tickled – that others were entering the harvest field with them!

Did we know that most all of the ministries in our church could use more help? What would it look like if 80% of the people were involved in the ministry of the church? What if we all helped in some capacity – making the load lighter for others and enabling us to do more for Jesus? Although 20% of the people do 80% of the work – they cannot do that 80% well – because they are so stretched. I would imagine – if 80% were involved in doing the labor of the Lord at our church – the amount of work and the quality of the work would increase and improve. It just makes sense! Right?

So – where are we helping our church? Do we feel like we just don’t have the time to help? Do we feel we just don’t have the abilities to help? If these fit us – what about being a generous giver so that we might hire others to do what we feel we don’t have the time or abilities to do?

Did you know that a tithe of a $40,000 annual family income is $4,000 or about $77 a week in offering? Of course – a tithe on a family income of $80,000 would be $8,000 or about $154 a week in offering. You can easily figure out your tithe. Just saying. (By the way – we are all called to tithe and even sacrificially offer to God and we are all called to serve in some capacity.)

Luke 10:2 – He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Today – I ask the Lord to increase the workers at our church – to enable us to harvest the fields around our church for Jesus! Will others step up and say Lord – here am I – use me? We are in the first month of a new year. Where is God calling us to serve? We are called to go out into the mission or harvest fields – around us – to send out people to serve Christ. This is not always outside the church – but often inside as well. What gifts has God given us to be used to His glory? If you would like to serve but can’t find a place – contact me please. We can find a place for you to work in the harvest fields for sure! Serving Jesus is what we are all called to do!

What about helping us start the contemporary worship service? We need musicians – singers – ushers – sound and computer techs – greeters – prayer warriors and more. How can you serve Jesus and our church as we begin this new ministry?

Just something for us to think about today as we go on our way.

 

• Ray MacDonald Comment at: https://raymcdonald.wordpress.com/

Do We Really Need One Another?

1 Corinthians 12:12-13 12 For just as the body is one and yet has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. As believers, we are called to worship and serve God. Where and how we serve is based upon our talents, skills, and calling. But we are all expected to give of ourselves in the local church. When you were saved, God baptized you by the Holy Spirit into His church. You then chose, in accordance with the Lord’s will, to become part of a group of believers. He placed you there because He knows that you are needed ( But now God has arranged the parts, each one of them in the body, just as He desired. 1 Cor. 12:18). You are significant to your home church. The church is more than a community. It’s an interdependent body with individual members who were created by God to function in communion with one another. Christians, like the world at large, are a diverse group, so we won’t always agree with each other. That means we have to pursue unity. But our differences are actually something to be celebrated, because each person uniquely contributes to God’s purpose. A church that is truly operating as a unit—with all its varied gifts, talents, personalities, and intellects aimed toward kingdom goals—must be a beautiful sight from the Lord’s perspective. Christianity isn’t a spectator religion. We all have jobs to do in God’s kingdom. The body of Christ functions best and most beautifully when all members serve God and each other to the best of their ability ( so that there may be no division in the body, but that the parts may have the same care for one another. 1 Cor. 12:25). How are you serving your church?

The Shattered Mirror

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 Dustin Stradley woke up on a jailhouse floor in an orange jumpsuit—with no idea how he had gotten there. His drinking was out of control. When he was released on bail, he went home and looked in the mirror. “I was disgusted with what I saw. And so, I…just punched the mirror and shattered the mirror and fell down and just started bawling, crying.”

Dustin’s dad gave him a Bible with a note saying, “This is God’s love letter,” and Dustin eventually gave his heart to Christ. “I realized God loved me, period. Even though I did all these things, God loved me exactly like I am. And He wants to have a relationship with me now.” God made us in His image, but we’ve all broken the mirror by our sins, addictions, and flaws. But God can restore us! His love for us enables us to love Him in return. Choose to love Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength today. God met me right there, and He’s doing the same thing for all of us. It’s not about earning more of God’s love. He loves you right now, exactly like you are. Dustin Stradley – David Jeremiah

The Blessings of God

Ephesians 1:3-14 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons and daughters through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, with which He favored us in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our wrongdoings, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight 9 He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He set forth in Him, 10 regarding His plan of the fullness of the times, to bring all things together in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. 11 In Him we also have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things in accordance with the plan of His will, 12 to the end that we who were the first to hope in the Christ would be to the praise of His glory. 13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of the promise, 14 who is a first installment of our inheritance, in regard to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory. We all face difficult times, and when we’re in the midst of them, we may feel as though God isn’t blessing us. But even in the midst of hard times, we experience many of His amazing gifts; we just have to open our eyes to them. Below are several examples of blessings that we can enjoy on bright or dark days: • We are assured that our almighty God chose us before the foundation of the world and predestined us to be adopted as His children (4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons and daughters through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, Eph. 1:4-5). • Jesus Christ redeemed us, providing salvation through His death and resurrection (7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our wrongdoings, according to the riches of His grace). As a result, believers receive a brand-new nature and daily forgiveness (Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Cor. 5:17; If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9). • The Holy Spirit resides within all who trust in the Savior. He guides, warns, and fills us so we are never without counsel or comfort. He also seals us so that our eternity is secure (In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of the promise,  Eph. 1:13). • Our Father prepares an inheritance for us that is imperishable (to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 1 Pet. 1:4). We may experience momentary troubles, but we can look forward to living eternally in God’s presence, where there is joy and no suffering. In painful situations, it may be easy to feel as if God’s hand is not resting on your life. But believers have wonderful spiritual blessings at all times. So express gratitude, even in difficulty.

Misplaced Priorities

Luke 12:13-21 13 Now someone in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” 14 But He said to him, “You there—who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over the two of you?” 15 But He said to them, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one is affluent does his life consist of his possessions.” 16 And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive. 17 And he began thinking to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and I will store all my grain and my goods there. 19 And I will say to myself, “You have many goods stored up for many years to come; relax, eat, drink, and enjoy yourself!”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is demanded of you; and as for all that you have prepared, who will own it now?’ 21 Such is the one who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich in relation to God.” Jesus’ parable of the foolish wealthy man is a study in misplaced priorities. The man neglected God and spent his life greedily accumulating treasure for himself on earth. Then he died with no opportunity to enjoy his goods. But worse than that, he died with a bankrupt soul. Serving the Lord is the key to setting goals that will benefit us eternally. The question we ought to ask is not What shall I do? but, rather, What does God want me to do? The answer—which should be prayerfully sought and biblically evaluated—dictates which things we must put first to please the Lord. Life isn’t something that simply happens to us. Where we are today is largely determined by the priorities we set previously. This means we can also begin the process of re-evaluating them according to biblical guidelines and changing those that are misplaced. What do you prioritize in life? There’s nothing wrong with having earthly plans and goals, but we should also store up treasure in heaven, which can never be lost. Our top priority should be to live a life that honors the Lord.

Order from Chaos

A Broadcast with Sinclair Ferguson

The Holy Spirit is often the most misunderstood person of the Trinity. Who is this Spirit, and how do we relate to Him? Today, Sinclair Ferguson considers the identity, character, and work of the Spirit of God.

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Singing Praises and Prayers with Joy

Michael Summers What brings you joy? When does that joy flow into your prayers? How do you celebrate the gifts that God has given you? When I consider what gives me joy, my family, singing, and following baseball come to mind immediately. This past year, my wife and I have spent joyful time with children (and their wonderful spouses) and grandchildren. I look forward to conversations with my brothers. I’ve been an Atlanta Braves fan since 1991 but have followed baseball closely since I was ten years old, and possibly before then. As for singing, I have loved to sing since I was a small child sitting beside a gifted alto (my mother), whose grandfather had taught singing schools more than a hundred years ago. I sang in school choirs in junior high school, high school, and college, and have sung in community choirs. I also took private voice classes when I was in college. Most of my singing has been in the context of worship with churches, where joy has come from the act of worshipping our Creator, Sustainer, and Savior, but also from the fellowship of singing with fellow believers. I had the privilege of singing with the Freed-Hardeman College (now University) Acappella Singers for three years. During that time, I performed with the group in over thirty states and in several European nations. Several performances made deep impressions on me. Singing “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” as part of a male octet from the group as part of the 1978 Independence Day Celebration on the Washington Mall was a unique experience that among other things, deepened my faith as I meditated on and sang the words “in the beauty of the lilies, Christ was born across the seas with a beauty in his bosom that transfigures you and me.” The hymn in its entirety reinforces a sense of the sovereignty and glory of God, but those words with their imaginative poetic imagery hint at the magnificence of salvation that can transform individuals and cultures. John Robert Hall, our director, turned down an opportunity in our European concert tour during the summer of 1976 to sing before an estimated thousand people because we had a prior engagement. As I remember, on the night of that prior engagement, thirteen people were in the audience in Liege, Belgium, to hear us sing. After the audience began weeping during the concert, we learned during the intermission that they were overwhelmed that our group of about forty singers had come all the way from America to sing to them. Their gratitude was far greater than I suspect we would have received at the far larger venue that had been rejected. I and my fellow singers learned a valuable lesson that night about the joy of serving others. We owed a great debt to our wise director. One of the songs that we performed during our tour of Europe that summer was an arrangement of Psalm 95, a passage that summarizes well my joy in singing praises and prayers to God: “Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Come let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care” (Psalm 95:1-7). The next psalm calls for all creation to rejoice with the peoples of the earth because of the glory, but also the faithfulness of God. Singing praises and prayers to God gives me joy even more now than fifty years ago because I have learned that God indeed is faithful, and I have seen evidence of his glory in what he has created. Quotations from the Bible are from the New International Version God of glory and grace, I have seen your glory in the beauty of snow-capped mountain peaks and have glimpsed your power in fear-provoking powerful storms. Even when I have sustained loss, your love has empowered me, and I have survived because you provided. Whether I sing, “Nearer, still nearer, close to thy heart,” or “Shout to the Lord,” joy fills my heart when I contemplate your love. Thank for the blessings of family and friends who have shared my joy by singing with me as we worshiped you. Thank you for hearing our celebration of your love and for answering our prayers. Thank you for the ability to experience joy. In the words of another song, “joyful, joyful, we adore you, God of glory, Lord of love.” I pray joyfully in the name of Jesus, amen.

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The Narrow Way

A Broadcast with R.C. Sproul

Few ideas are more loathsome in an age of political correctness than the claim that there is only one way to God. Yet this is the clear teaching of Scripture. Today, R.C. Sproul continues his exposition of the gospel of Luke by examining Jesus’ words about the narrow way of salvation.

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A Hot Mess

If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself. 2 Timothy 2:13 Talk about “cleanup on aisle 5!” A truck in Memphis, Tennessee, hit a retaining wall and crashed, spilling its load of Bertolli alfredo sauce. The road was closed as workers struggled to clean up the sticky, high-calorie sauce and the thousands of broken glass jars.[1]

We all make messes, don’t we? Remember the time you dropped the pizza upside down on the kitchen floor? What about the time the garbage bag broke before you got it into the bin? Or that awful moment you opened your mouth and said something impulsively? Sometimes we make a mess spiritually—yielding to temptation, neglecting our devotions, losing our temper, engaging in a habit we know is displeasing to our God. We need to guard our heart carefully and repent of sins promptly. We should also remember that God doesn’t stop loving us when we mess up. At times we might think that God’s love for us stops when we sin. But that’s not true. God compassionately loves us in spite of our sin. Thank Him today for His compassion and love, and seek to please Him always. No matter what storm you face, you need to know that God loves you. He has not abandoned you. Franklin Graham – David Jeremiah

Pray Without Losing Heart

Luke 18:1-8 Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not become discouraged, 2 saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect any person. 3 Now there was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me justice against my opponent.’ 4 For a while he was unwilling; but later he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect any person, 5 yet because this widow is bothering me, I will give her justice; otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.’” 6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unrighteous judge *said; 7 now, will God not bring about justice for His elect who cry out to Him day and night, and will He delay long for them? 8 I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” One of the most difficult aspects of prayer is perseverance. Not only do our newly made commitments to be more consistent often fail; our willingness to continue petitioning the Lord also tends to wane with time when answers aren’t forthcoming. But God’s promise to answer His children’s prayers hasn’t proven false—even if we don’t see results as soon as we hoped. The Lord, who is sovereign over heaven and earth, works everything according to His purposes. With our limited human understanding, we don’t always know whether our petitions fit God’s plan or timetable. But whether He grants our requests or not, we can be certain that His way and timing are always best and for our good. It’s in the wait that the Lord accomplishes spiritual work in our life—training us to trust Him in the delays, rest in His wisdom to decide what’s best, and persevere in prayer as He commands. To demand immediate answers to our requests would be to act like spiritual toddlers. The ability to wait is a sign of maturity, and that’s what God desires for us. So keep praying, be patient, and persevere, because in the process, you’re becoming more like Christ.